Freelancers and gig workers need fast, reliable access to their platforms to secure jobs, work, and get paid. But login issues are locking them out, wasting hours, and costing real money. In a survey of 503 freelancers and gig workers, many reported missed gigs and growing frustration. Some have even switched platforms to escape the hassle. If login problems are driving talent away, what can platforms do to keep them?
Logging into an app or website should be the easiest part of any job, but that’s not always the case. Some platforms nail the experience, while others leave workers frustrated and looking for alternatives.
Uber topped the list for gig-work apps, with 68% of workers giving its login experience a thumbs-up. Rover (63%), Rev (61%), and Upwork (59%) also earned high marks. Postmates came in last, as only 33% of workers rated its login experience positively. Grubhub (35%) and Shipt (38%) weren’t far behind.
Half of freelancers and gig workers said platforms don’t prioritize their experience, making it harder to get help or fix login problems quickly. As a result, 29% have left a platform due to ongoing login frustrations. When logging in isn’t easy, workers move on â possibly to your competition.
For freelancers and gig workers, logging in is the gateway to their livelihood. When platforms lock them out, it’s more than frustrating. It means lost income, wasted time, and client or customer opportunities slipping away.
Over the past year, 44% of freelancers and gig workers have been locked out of an account they rely on for work, and 21% ran into this issue specifically on gig-working platforms or apps. On average, those affected lost approximately $1,018 annually due to these disruptions. Worse, regaining access wasn’t immediate. Freelancers and gig workers reported waiting an average of seven hours to get back into a locked account.
Time lost to login issues quickly adds up, with 17% of those who’ve been locked out spending five or more hours each month dealing with login-related problems. The most common culprit? Forgotten passwords. Nearly half (49%) faced this issue, with millennials (54%) and Gen Z (52%) workers struggling the most to remember their passwords.
Authentication roadblocks have real consequences for freelancers and gig workers: 35% missed a time-sensitive contract or gig, and 19% had to abandon one mid-task. Some even lost a client or customer (4%), and others had a contract terminated (4%). Login headaches also take a toll on workers’ well-being. Nearly a third said they cause major stress, and 16% said they negatively impact their overall job satisfaction.
Freelancers and gig workers know what would improve their login experience: speed, security, and reliability. Here are their top preferences for accessing their accounts.
Freelancers and gig workers want login processes that are simple, secure, and hassle-free. Nearly a third (31%) said a seamless login experience would make them more loyal to a platform. Many have strong preferences for how they want to access their accounts, including:
More than a third of freelancers and gig workers (35%) said they would trust using Single Sign-On (SSO) to access their platforms. Furthermore, 31% of freelancers and gig workers claim they would be more loyal to their platform of choice given it had an SSO login experience. SSO lets users log in to multiple services with one set of credentials, so you don’t need separate usernames and passwords for each account.
The impact of a smoother login process goes beyond convenience. Freelancers estimated they could save four hours each month with frictionless access, translating to an additional $861 in yearly earnings. Some (3%) value reliability so much that they’re willing to pay an average of $8 per month for premium login support.
Platforms that prioritize secure, easy access can improve worker satisfaction and retention, keeping top talent engaged instead of pushing them to competitors.
Freelancers and gig workers depend on fast, reliable access to earn a living, but too many are losing time, income, and opportunities due to login frustrations. Platforms that streamline authentication with secure, seamless solutions like SSO, frictionless login, and self-service recovery will keep top talent engaged. Those that don’t? Workers will move on to platforms that prioritize their experience.
For this study, we surveyed 503 freelancers and gig workers about their login experiences, struggles, and future projections regarding platform login.
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